District Attorney John Creuzot is working to end mass incarceration in Dallas County. He has issued policies that are different from what we’ve seen in Dallas, and some haven’t been seen in any other city in the country. Instead of relying on caging the poor and mentally ill and targeting people of color to bring about justice, he has taken a leap forward using our criminal justice system as it is intended: to safeguard the community against real threats. As clergy and faith leaders in Dallas County we applaud Creuzot for taking this bold step toward creating a genuinely equitable justice system for all of us, and we support him as he moves forward.

We are not surprised there are those in positions of power who would like to see more of the same. However, we will not allow this dominant yet minority few to ignore research-based, data-driven approaches in order to circumvent the will of the people. We consider every new policy implemented by Creuzot to be promises kept to the community that elected him.

Changing the balance of power will bring angst. We urge those who are resistant to change of this sort to step back and to consider what is at stake. Creuzot is bringing not only much-needed empathy but also compassion to a system charged with keeping every person in our community safe.

The Rev. Michael Greene, Highland Hills United Methodist Church

The Rev. Kamilah Hall-Sharp, The Gathering

The Rev. Frederick Haynes, Friendship West Baptist Church

The Rev. Kwesi Kamau, Impact Church

The Rev. Phea Kennedy, New Jerusalem African Methodist Episcopal Church